ARTBA Opposes FHWA QBS Exemption

What happened: ARTBA April 1 opposed the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) proposed regulation that would eliminate qualifications-based selection (QBS) for procuring engineering design services. The QBS procurement method is required when selecting engineering design services for federal contracts and is used by most state transportation agencies (STA) and non-STA contracts. It emphasizes the qualifications and competence of the engineering firm over cost during the initial selection phase.

Why it matters: The agency has yet to show why the proposed rule is necessary. The rule may actually jeopardize the quality of design services in construction projects, potentially leading to increased costs and delays. ARTBA asks FHWA instead to provide additional resources to non-STAs to help implement reliable contracting methods that include QBS.

What’s next: FHWA has provided no timeline for a final rule. ARTBA’s Prianka Sharma is the contact.